The Host and Parasite
by DarkChao1663
Summary: Yugi has been concern as to why Yami has not been talking with him. Could Yami ignoring Yugi cause Yugi to be in danger? Complete!
1. The Term Host Defined

Chao- Meh heh, who knew that biology could be so useful and interesting?

**Disclaimer: DarkChao1663 does not own **_**Yu-Gi-Oh! **_**or any of the characters. All ideas and characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi.**

**Warnings: None**

**Pairings: None**

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 1: The Term "Host" Defined**

A young teen with tri-color hair sat on a bench and ate some sushi while talking with a friend.

/Ah! Such a nice day, isn't it?/ Yugi asked with a huge grin on his face.

/Yes, it's much clearer now after a few days of rain./ Yami replied, /So, you now choose to spend a sunny day at the amusement park?/

/Yup,/ Yugi said as he stood up and threw away his trash in a garbage can. He looked up as the clouds slowly moved along passed the sun. A gentle breeze flew by and Yugi couldn't help but smile.

/What do you all plan to do?/ Yami asked.

/Oh, you know, just ride a few rides and play a few arcade games./ Yugi answered, /It'll be a nice way to start off a weekend after working so hard in school. And the best part is: no homework!/

Yami chuckled at the last statement his partner made.

"Hey, Yugi!" one of the boy's friends called out. The young teen turned around and saw a girl with short brown hair and ocean blue eyes.

"Hey, Tea." Yugi greeted back.

"What are you up to?" she asked with a smile.

"Nothing, just talking with Yami." Yugi answered.

"What's up, everyone?" Tristan asked as he joined his group of friends.

"Hey, Tristan." Yugi said.

"Where's Joey?" Tea asked as she noticed the absent of their blonde friend, "Wasn't he coming with you?"

"Yeah, but I went ahead and left without him. After all, this is payback for him stealing my blueberry off of my place when I asked him not to as I was saving it!" Tristan replied.

"Will either of you two grow up?" Tea sighed. At that moment, the group saw Joey running towards them.

"Sorry… I'm late… guys…" he panted. He then shot his head up and yelled, "I would've been hear earlier if Tristan told me when he was leaving!"

"This what I call sweet revenge!" Tristan claimed with a grin of triumph.

"Oh, really?" Joey asked in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah, really!" Tristan answered.

"Come on, Yugi," Tea grumbled as he grabbed her childhood friend's risk, "Let's go ahead and leave without them."

Yugi laughed and nodded. The two boys who were left behind realized their two friends had left. They pleaded at the same time, "Wait! Don't leave without us!"

Domino City Amusement Park was packed with children and adults, but mainly with teens. Lines for each ride were very long but worth the wait. The food was filled with calories but no one really cared. There were many other children and teens attempting to break previous held records at the arcade.

"That was so much fun!" Joey exclaimed as they exit a rollercoaster ride.

"Which one should we go on next?" Tristan asked as everyone looked around to see where they wanted to go.

"Hey, another rollercoaster!" Tea pointed, "Let's go there!"

"OK!" everyone agreed. As they approached the next ride, the group was stopped when an attendant had asked, "Excuse me, but this kid right here needs to be measured."

"Hey!" Yugi protested in annoyance, "I'm not a kid! I'm in high school!"

The boy could hear his friends snickering behind his back which made him even more frustrated.

"Err… Sorry, sir; company policy," the attendant explained. Yugi sighed and placed his back against the wall. He waited anxiously as the ride attendant looked to see where the line was in comparison to said high school student.

"Sorry sir, but you're only a few inches short to riding this ride."

"What!" everyone complained.

"Can't you let this one slide?" Joey asked getting annoyed.

"Err… Sorry, but if I do then I might lose my job!" The ride attendant explained getting nervous. Yugi sighed and said, "It's ok, everyone. I'll just wait for you all to get back." The young adolescent did not want to be responsible for having someone lose their job because of him.

"But Yugi." Tea protested.

"It's ok; I won't be alone." Yugi smiled and pointed to his puzzle that he wore around his neck. He then walked away from the line and sat on a bench. Unhappily, he swung his feet as he waited for his friends to finish the ride. He knew he was missing out on a fun time, but there was nothing he could do about it.

/Something wrong?/ Yami asked with concern as he appeared next to Yugi.

/No,/ Yugi answered, /But it does get annoying and sometimes I wish I could be taller./

/Taller like Joey or Tristan?/

/Maybe; I'm not sure if that'd be too tall./

/Perhaps a height Tea or Rebecca Hawkins would find acceptable?/

"Y-Yami!" Yugi protested as his face grew red.

/What? I'm just asking./ Yami tried to explain. Yugi turned his head away from his darker half as he pouted. Yami couldn't help but chuckled as his partner was behaving in a childish manner. He then decided to changed the subject, /What's next on the list of things to do today?/

Before Yugi could answer, he saw his friends coming his way. He smiled and asked, "How was the ride?"

"We didn't go on." Tristan informed his buddy.

"Why not?" Yugi asked in confusion.

"We didn't want to ride without you." Tea explained. The small teen felt his heart leap with joy as he heard his friends sacrificed having a good time to be with their vertically challenged friend.

"But…" Yugi also felt guilty as he assumed that he was brining them down.

"There are other rides and games we can all go on." Joey reminded, "Let's go find them!"

"Yeah!" everyone agreed.

Yugi smiled as he followed his friends to find other outings to enjoy. They had gone on bumper cars, into a hallway of mirrors, a smaller rollercoaster, and a machine that took people up and down really fast. Later on in the day, everyone sat down to have a bit to eat.

There was a ketchup fight between Joey and Tristan which got out of hand. Tea and Yugi tried to ignore it but before the boy could take a bite of his hamburger, he found his face covered in ketchup. There was a moment pause as everyone looked at the young teen who has a surprised expression on his face.

"Err… Sorry, Yugi," the two boys apologized. Yugi and Yami couldn't help but laugh.

"It's all right, I'll just go wash this off," Yugi insisted as he placed his burger on his plate and excused himself to the bathroom.

As he walked away, Yugi could hear Tea scolding the two childish teens once more. Once in the bathroom, the adolescent washed his face in the sink and was able to get rid of the stains before they set on to his clothes.

/Will those two ever agree on anything?/ Yami asked as he reappeared to his partner's side.

/Who knows,/ Yugi replied as he grabbed a paper towel to dry his face from the water the dripped off his bangs. As he tossed away the used towel, he noticed his yami looking at him.

/What? Is there anymore ketchup on my face?/ he questioned. The spirit shook his head and said, /No, it's nothing./

Yugi began to worry so he asked, /Aren't you having a good time, too? I know it can be a little boring having to stay within the Puzzle./

Yami smiled and replied, /Of course I'm having fun. I'm just enjoying the fact that you're enjoying time with your friends./

Yugi walked out the bathroom feeling a little guilty for having a good time with friends and appreciating all what the amusement park had to offer, with the exception some rides were off limits due to height. He wanted his school buddies to be able to have fun without having to worry about him having his feelings hurt.

Just then, an idea hit the young teen. He smiled as he walked back to his group of companions. Everyone was looking at a map to see what to do next.

"Hey," Yugi greeted as he returned from the wash room.

"Hey, Yug." Joey greeted back.

"I think I've found a way for everyone to enjoy all the rides. Even that one rollercoaster I'm too short for." Yugi announced.

"Really? How?" everyone asked with enthusiasm. Yugi winked and beckoned his friends to follow him. They walked down the path to the ride that had rejected the vertically challenged.

"Here we are," observed Tristan.

"And we go." Yugi said as his puzzle began to glow. After a flash of light, a very confused Yami stood where the young teen once stood.

"What?" Yami asked in disbelief, "Why am I out here?"

The group smiled as they understood their friend's plan.

"You're going on the ride with us!" Tea informed the former pharaoh as she grabbed his arm.

"Let's get on!" Joey said.

/Err… Yugi?/ Yami asked his partner.

/It's ok. This way I can ride it, too./ Yugi smiled. Yami smiled back, /Well, if you're fine with it./

The rest of the time went by smoothly. Everyone was able to enjoy all the rides regardless of the height issue. At the end of the day, Yugi took control as the group had fun on the last ride, a Ferris wheel. The view was magnificent at the top.

There, everyone could see the roofs of houses and buildings, clouds passing by, and people finding their way to their next destination. When the wheel came to an end, everyone stepped down and departed for the day. Yugi walked home with the spirit of the puzzle by his side.

/Whew! That was a lot of fun!/ Yugi exclaimed.

/Yes, it was./ Yami agreed.

/Did you have fun on the rides?/ Yugi asked.

/Yes, I did. I hope we will be able to do that all again soon./ Yami replied.

/Me too./ Yugi smiled.

Xxx

Sunday came and went and Monday had arrived. The first day of the week for many students involved gathered their school supplies together in a giant rush in an attempt to not be late.

"Yugi!" called out the adolescent's grandpa, "Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"No," the boy answered, "I need to get to school!"

The young adult headed out the door and was on his way to Domino High School.

"_I'm not really that hungry_," he thought to himself. The teen didn't mind attending school; he was able to see and hang out with his friends. But, Yugi was still a student and had classes he dreaded.

"_Ugh, biology is first hour_." Yugi thought to himself as he got off the bus and headed towards school.

/Is that the class with the strict teacher?/ Yami asked as he appeared.

/Yup,/ Yugi confirmed, /Some things can be interesting, but if she wasn't so stern I'm sure the class would move along nicely./

Yugi entered his classroom and saw Tea ready for the lesson to begin.

"Hey, Tea," the teen greeted, "How was your Sunday?"

"It was ok." she responded, "How was yours?"

"The usual." the adolescent replied as he took his seat next to her.

The bell rang symbolizing that class had began. A stern-looking teacher came into her room. She started class by stating, "I'm sure none of your read the newspaper since you're all too busy playing your games and watching TV. But, I'm sure this will draw your attention."

She uploaded a newspaper article on a Smart Board. The headlines read some of the food stands around Domino Amusement Park were closed due to health violations. None of the students gasped because they did not really cared. The teacher expected this type of attitude, so she said, "That's why we're going over the chapters of what a 'host' is and how it can be harmed when attacked by a parasite."

She pulled up a PowerPoint presentation and explained, "In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite by providing nourishment and shelter. A parasite is an organism that lives on or the inside another organism to survive."

As she showed pictures of parasites, some of the students protested, mainly the girls, by saying how disgusting some of them looked. Tea whispered, "Eek! I'm glad I don't have anything like that in _my _body!"

Yugi laughed and agreed, "I wouldn't want to be a host to something like that!"

The teacher quiet down her class with the threat of giving detentions and continued on with the lesson. Deep within Yugi's Puzzle, the lecture was being heard by a spirit was captured by the lecture, pictures, but mainly the vocabulary words.

After class, Yugi and Tea departed as they headed towards their next class. The small teen stopped by his locker to exchange textbooks.

/See Yami, the lesson was interesting but the teacher sure was mean!/ Yugi chuckled. He waited a moment but he did not hear a reply from his friend, /Yami? Were you listening in on the lecture or did you just stay in the Puzzle?/

Still, Yugi did not hear anything from within.

/Yami?/ Yugi asked as he clutched his pendent.

"Hey, Yug," Joey greeted, "You ready for the next class?"

"Sure," Yugi answered, "Let's go."

The two walked to their next period together. Yugi couldn't help but wonder why he was not getting any response from the upside down gold pyramid.

xxx

The group of friends gathered around outside under a shady tree and opened their lunches.

"Man, Saturday sure was fun!" Tristan said making conversation.

"Yes, we have to do that again really soon." Tea agreed.

"Should we go to the same place or somewhere different?" Joey asked as they all wondered about making plans for the weekend.

Yugi was half-listening, but he did not eat. For some reason, his stomach has been bothering him all day Sunday and today. He was, however, more worried about whether or not something was bothering his darker half.

"Is something wrong, Yugi?" Tea asked as she broke through her friend's thoughts.

"Oh… no," Yugi answered.

"You sure? You haven't even open your bag," Tristan observed.

"Or are you just as grossed out as I am about what happen in biology?" Tea asked teasing her friend. Yugi only laughed.

"Ick, are you all talking about those nasty photos of those worms?" Joey asked in disgusted.

"Yeah, we saw them in our first hour class." Tea informed.

"We heard about that from Ryou and Duke who took the same class," Joey said.

"I wonder if half the stuff we learn at school is legal?" Tristan asked jokingly.

The bell rang once more signifying lunch was over. When Yugi began to stand up, he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdominal. He grasp his diaphragm with his hand and gasped in agony.

"Yugi, are you ok?" Tea asked. Her friend was about to speak, but the discomfort he had felt went away.

"Yeah," the small teen answered, "I'm fine."

Everyone then walked towards their next class.

xxx

Yugi departed from everyone after saying his goodbyes for the day. As he walked home, he tried to call for the spirit once more.

/Yami? Are you there?/ Still the teen did not get any response from his friend. He had tried several times between classes to talk with his darker half, but it was no use.

"_Is something bothering him?_" Yugi thought to himself as he went inside his home. "_Maybe I should let him be._"

Yugi greeted his grandpa and then went upstairs to take a shower. When he was done, the boy went to his room and began to do his homework for the day.

"Argh! Lousy school work," he complained as he took out his big textbook full of giant words that made sense to no one. He was halfway done when he heard his name being called, "Yugi! Dinner is ready!"

"_I'm not at all hungry_." Yugi thought to himself as he got up from his chair. As he did, he felt another sharp pain coming from his abdominal. He reached for the same place as before and gasped in pain. He used his other hand to help support his body by firmly placing it against the top of his desk. He started to wheeze as the pain slowly went away. At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Yugi? Are you coming down?" Solomon asked.

"Err… No, I'm not hungry." Yugi informed as he straighten himself up gradually. Yugi's door open and the elderly man questioned, "You didn't anything at all yesterday, did you?"

Yugi leaned against his desk and shook his head.

"You also didn't eat breakfast this morning, but what about lunch?" he asked becoming worried. Again, Yugi shook his head, "I… wasn't feeling hungry."

"Are you getting sick?" Yugi's grandpa asked as he placed one hand on his grandson's forehead.

"No, I don't think so." Yugi answered. The elderly man started to leave and before he exit, he said, "If you feel sick then don't go to school tomorrow."

The teen nodded his head. Once the door was shut, he sat on his bed with both arms wrapped around his stomach. Nearby that area, he could feel small amounts of throbbing pain. Suddenly, the boy felt something coming up. He knew his stomach was not cooperating so he reached for his trash can and started to vomit.

Before inducing another set of bile, he stopped for a moment and whimpered, "Ya… mi."

**To be continued….**

Chao- Yay!

YChao- So, the people who have taken or are taking biology should enjoy this story?

Chao- Who knows? Most likely!

Yugi- Why me?

YChao- Because the story makes more sense with it being you!

Chao- If you read then please review!


	2. Parasite

Chao- Yay! Next chapter is here!

"Talking."

"_Thinking._"

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 2: Parasite**

Yugi awoke the next morning feeling fine. He pulled the covers off of him and stepped out of bed. As he stretched, the teen greeted his friend, "Good morning, Yami."

He rested his hands on his lap waiting for a welcoming. There was nothing. The adolescent sighed in defeat.

"_Why isn't Yami talking to me?_" He changed into his school uniform, grabbed his Puzzle, and went downstairs. As the boy hiked down the steps, he felt a sharp sting once more. He grunted in pain.

"_I should take some pain killers to get rid of this._" He strolled into the kitchen and took two small pills. "_I may not be hungry, but I should at least eat something small_."

The teen placed a slice of bread into the toaster and later spread butter on it. He shoved it into his mouth as he tied on his shoes. He walked out the door and was on his way back to school for another day of mandatory learning. Traveling to school was lonely for the boy as he would usually spend the stroll talking with his partner. When he arrived at his destination, he just sat at his desk and looked at his pendant.

"Good morning, Yugi," Tea greeted her friend. Her cheerful mood changed when she saw her companion appeared so sad.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she took her seat. Yugi sighed and informed, "I'm not sure why but… Yami hasn't been talking to me."

The teen looked down at his pendant as he held it in his hands.

"Has he been out at all?" Tea asked needing more information to help out with the situation.

"No," Yugi replied, "He's just been in the Puzzle all day and night."

"When did this started to happen?"

"Um… I think yesterday… I tried talking to him after biology and he didn't respond. I continued to try and talk with him through out the day, but he hasn't said anything."

"You don't think something serious happen to him, do you?"

"I don't think so; I can still feel his presence."

Tea placed one hand on Yugi's shoulder. The adolescent looked at his buddy who smiled gently at him and reassured, "Don't worry; he will come out when he's ready."

The boy smiled back and the bell rang for class to begin. The stern-looking teacher marched into her classroom and instructed her class to quiet down or she'd pass out detentions. She also announced there would be a test soon and the class groaned.

Throughout the day, Yugi resisted talking with Yami as he did not want to bother his friend, who may be deep in thought. The task was difficult as the sun would reflect light against the gold pendant causing Yugi to glance down at his puzzle. Whenever he did, he would sigh but continued moving on.

At lunch time, he went outside to meet his friends over at their usual spot. He saw his two peers, Joey and Tristan, already there. While he walked over, Yugi stopped for a moment as he felt discomfort coming from his lower stomach area. He grasped his diaphragm and mumbled to himself, "Maybe I should ask Tea if she has any pain killers with her."

"Hey, Yug," Joey greeted.

"Hey, guys, there's something going on and-" Yugi began but was interrupted.

"Is Yami still not talking with you?" Joey asked with concern. Yugi looked at them strangely since that was what he was about to say.

"Tea told us about it," Tristan explained. The young teen with the tri-color hair clutched his treasure.

"I'm not sure if something is bothering him, but I'll just see if I can talk with him later on." Yugi explained his plan.

"Good idea," Joey agreed.

"Where is Tea?" Yugi asked.

"Here I am!" Tea announced right on cue, "Sorry, I was at the library."

As the group sat down on the ground, Yugi felt the same sharp pain once more.

"You ok, Yugi?" Tea asked.

"Yeah," Yugi grunted as he sat down, "But, do you have any pain killers on you?"

"Sure," the girl pulled out her bag and took out a small container that held pills. The small teen pulled a water bottle from his bag and sipped some water then took a pill.

"Thanks, Tea." Yugi said grateful for his friend's help.

"No problem," Tea replied.

When the school day had ended, everyone went their separate ways to do all of their work they had been assigned. Yugi walked straight home, greeted his grandpa, and went to his room.

He took his book bag off of his back and dumped all of his school supplies on his bed. He then placed his prized possession on his desk. The boy sighed as he lifted up his heavy textbooks and began his school work. The teen spent a couple of hours in silence finishing on worksheets, assigned problems, and reading texts. Through out the time, he would once in awhile wrapped his free arm around his waist where he was feeling discomfort.

After completing two sets of homework, Yugi wanted to take a break. He leaned back on his chair and stretched. His attention was drawn back to his puzzle that glisten against the light from his lamp. He figured since he was alone, he should try once more to see if Yami was ready to talk.

"Yami?" Yugi called out, "It's Yugi… Is everything ok in there?"

There was a pause. The boy waited anxiously but did not receive anything. He stood up with the Puzzle in his hands and begged, "Yami… Please come out."

Yugi tried to figure out what else he could say but at that moment, the teen felt a sting stronger than what he had been feeling before. He dropped the Puzzle on the ground and grabbed his waist as he fell to the floor. He landed on his knees as he grunted in agony.

"Ya… mi…" He whispered as he began to gasp for air. He soon found himself being held by a familiar feeling. The pain gradually went away and Yugi looked up to see Yami holding him.

"Yami!" Yugi cried with glee. He tried to stand up but couldn't.

"Don't move," the spirit ordered sternly. Yugi continued to kneel down on the floor, but he managed to ask, "Yami… is anything wrong?"

"I should be asking you that." Yami replied in a cold tone. The adolescent looked back up at his partner who said, "I know you haven't been eating much these days… That may be why you're feeling unwell."

The spirit assisted his light up. When he was confident Yugi could stand up, Yami pulled away and turned his back to his friend. Yugi wasn't sure what to say. He was worried about his friend. Even though the former pharaoh was quiet, he was still concerned about his partner.

"Yugi! Dinner!" Solomon called from downstairs. The young adult didn't want to leave as he managed to see Yami after waiting so long. However, Yami advised, "You better go downstairs and eat."

Yugi waited a bit but then decided to listen to the spirit.

"Will you be here when I get back?" Yugi asked anxiously.

Yami still had his back to Yugi but informed, "I apologize for making you worry, but right now I think it'll be best if I stay in the Puzzle. Go downstairs and make sure eat something, that way you can feel better."

Yugi reluctantly accepted the terms and left his room. After he left, Yami looked over at his partner's desk to see worksheets, notes, and books spread across in a messy style.

He sighed and mumbled, "I'm sorry for being a parasite, Yugi."

With that, Yami went back into the puzzle.

Xxx

After dinner, Yugi placed his leftovers in the fridge and threw away his trash. He then went over to a cabinet and took down a jar filled with pain killers. Yugi popped two into his mouth and swallowed some water. He went back upstairs to his room and as he walked up the steps, he secretly hoped to find his yami sitting on his bed waiting for his return.

Yugi open the door to an empty room. He sighed and took a seat on his bed. He glanced over at his Puzzle slowly being covered by dust.

He pulled his legs closer to himself and thought, "_Should I take the puzzle to school tomorrow? Yami might be worried if I don't. But… I can't cause him anymore problems… He's already worried there might be something wrong with me… Maybe I'm just over complicating things…"_

The teen went returned to his desk to finish up his homework. When he was done, he placed everything back into his bag and set it by his door ready for the next day. He walked down to the bathroom to brush his teeth but before he went back to his room, an idea struck the young teen. He went downstairs to where the house's phone was.

Before Yugi could dial any numbers, he mumbled as he shut off his link, "Forgive me, Yami."

He waited for the other end to pick up when he said, "Tea? It's Yugi. I have a favor to ask of you. Are you free after school tomorrow? Really? Great!"

The young boy hung up the phone and sighed, "I hope everything goes well, tomorrow."

He was startled when he heard his grandfather snicker, "Making a date with Tea on a weekday, are we?"

"G-Grandpa!" Yugi stuttered, "N-no! It's nothing like that!"

"Ho ho! Sure it is!"

"No! It's not!"

Xxx

The small boy was asleep in his bed with his plans ready to go. As he rested, a spirit came out from where he was and watched over his light.

The spirit had felt the disturbance of being cut off from his partner earlier and wanted to be sure all was well. He was content to see nothing was wrong, but chose to stay out for the rest of the night to be sure of that.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Ha ha! What did Yugi plan?

YChao- Well, you did managed to spoil what was wrong with Yami…

Chao- Or really?

YChao- Yeah, really.

Chao- Please review!


	3. The Attack from Within

Chao- Man! Ideas just keep flowing on in!

YChao- Ideas or you just procrastinating doing homework again?

Chao- It's a combination of both this time.

"Talking."

"_Thinking._"

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 3**: **The Attack from Within**

The sun started to rise the next morning.

"_Maybe he just wanted some privacy last night_," the spirit assumed as he retreated back to his Puzzle. He figured Yugi would be all right for the day.

The young teen slowly woke up and prepared for school. He went down to the restroom to go brush his teeth. As he placed toothpaste upon his toothbrush, he felt something wrong with his stomach. Yugi recognize the uneasy feeling so he dropped what he was holding and rushed to the toilet.

The lid was already open so Yugi grabbed the rim of the seat for balance and began to vomit. He did not enjoy the taste coming from his stomach to his mouth. He then began to gasp for air as he knelt on the ground with his body trembling.

When he was ready, Yugi lifted himself up and wiped off his mouth with toilet paper. Yugi firmly grasped the top of his sink with one hand and leaned over while he wrapped his other arm around his stomach.

"_This… this isn't about…me… I just need… to take some medicine… and Yami… can get help._"

Yugi stood up and finished preparing for school. When he was in the kitchen, he made sure to take some medication with him and an apple so he could eat on the way to school. This particular routine was changed just a little bit; Yugi decided to place in some ear buds and listen to music on his way to school. He normally preferred to have a conversation with Yami or Tea, but the teen knew he would be traveling alone.

He arrived in class with Tea greeting him with a smile. Yugi took his seat and said, "Thanks for being flexible. I hope this won't interrupted anything tonight."

"No problem," Tea comforted, "I'm glad I can help."

"Good," Yugi replied, "I'm sure he can use that special charm of yours."

"So was is it you need me to do?" Tea asked wanting clarification.

Yugi leaned over and whispered his plan over into his friend's ear.

Xxx

Yami's Soul Room

The former pharaoh sat against his walls like he had been for the past several hours. His legs had gone numb and his mind began to dull. However, he believed regardless of his condition, this was the best choice to protect Yugi.

**Yami's P.O.V.**

How could I have been so blind? I cause my friend problems and here I am still attached to him.

Is he really that concerned with me?

Someone who causes him harm?

Why?

He cut himself off from me earlier, but I vaguely heard him apologizing… It was only shut off for a minute or two then went back on… Why did he do that? I worried about him and fortunately nothing serious happened to him. I still, however, know he has not been feeling well. I could sense it.

I should probably at least talk with him but… how? What exactly can I say? I made sure the other night he had food within his system. Am I really only concerned with myself? If Yugi does die then… I go with him. I'm not so much so caring for myself as I do for Yugi. If only there was some way to solve this then maybe…

I sighed.

Although I can no longer take part in his life, I still can't help but care about him.

**End Yami's P.O.V.**

Xxx

The day went by like any normal day. When school had ended, Yugi went down to the school's library to meet Tea. He open one of the doors and noticed hardly anyone was there. His friend was sitting at one the tables staring at a book. Yugi smiled, walked over, and greeted her. She looked up from her book and smiled back.

"I'm ready," she said.

Yugi nodded his head. He shut his eyes and concentrated on the bond that was vaguely there between the boy and the spirit he was sharing a body with.

/Yami, I know that you can hear me. You may not want to talk with me, but I think there's someone else you can be comfortable with./

Xxx

Deep within Yami's Soul Room, his focused was broken when he heard Yugi call his name. He heard him say, /Yami, I know that you can hear me. You may not want to talk with me, but I think there's someone else you can be comfortable with./

"Wait, what does he mean by that?" Yami asked himself out loud.

Suddenly, the spirit could feel himself being pulled out of his chamber. The sensation was strange but familiar as the formal pharaoh had used the same method to switch himself with Yugi when he had to take control of his partner on several occasions. Before Yami knew what took place, he found himself sitting on chair next to Tea.

"Hey, there, Yami," she welcomed with a smile.

"Err…" Yami did not know what to say. He was unsure why he was brought out into the real world if there were no Duelist or any criminals to deal with.

"Don't worry," Tea explained, "Yugi was the one who planned this."

Yami blinked in confusion, "Yugi? But why?"

"Because he was worried about you." Tea replied in a childish tone though she was also concerned. The dark spirit looked down at the floor and started to feel guilty for making everyone feel uneasy.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed to say. Tea smiled and explained, "Yugi told me he would be away so you could tell me anything in private."

Yami was grateful his light was able to give him such opportunities. He thought about what he had been thinking about for the past couple of days. The spirit sighed and said, "It's not that I don't want to talk with Yugi… Maybe I don't? I'm not even sure myself."

Tea listened carefully to her friend as he continued on, "I want to be with him but I can't… I'm sure I've been causing more problems than I could solve… I can't help but feel like…like I'm… not being at all useful… Like I'm…a…"

Yami was at lost for words.

Tea wanted to assist both of her friends. She thought for a moment then had an idea of her own. She smiled once more and said, "Come on, let's go take a walk. Today, I'll shall show you around once more. Just call me your 'hostess'."

Yami's eyes widen when he heard that word. He stood up and yelled with sorrow in his tone, "Don't say such a horrible thing!"

Tea was taken off guard for a moment. She was not expecting such a response from a reserved person. The spirit realized he had frighten someone so he apologized. Tea stood up and still agreed with her previous idea. Yami nodded his head.

The two walked down a path with a silence between the two.

"Um… The weather sure is nice out." Tea commented. Yami did not say anything; he did not feel comfortable after he raised his voice. The girl scrambled around some possible speeches she could say. But before she could say a word, a man jumped out of the bushes and ordered, "That's a nice necklace. Hand it over!"

Yami stood in front of Tea. He did not want any harm to come to his friend. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted by his foot a tree branch that could be split in half similar to a wishbone from a bird. He reached for it and said, "Let's play a game."

"A game?" the man asked confused.

"We each grab hold of one end of the stick. We pull down on it and the person with the bigger side wins." Yami explained. The man looked annoyed and impatient so Yami added, "If you win then we both hand over what we have, but if I win, then you will leave. Fail to obey the rules and you play a Penalty Game. Do you accept these terms? How else can you win as you have no weapon on you?"

The robber was furious but accepted the conditions. Yami walked away from Tea as he held one end of the stick. The man came closer and reached for the other side. They pulled on the twig and it snapped. Yami held the other end with pride as the robber was shocked he held the shorter end.

"I win." Yami declared. The man was so upset at his lost that he tackled Yami. Both bodies feel to the ground. As Yami slid across the dirt, his arm was cut by a pointy shard of glass. He yelled in pain. The man got back on his feet and ordered, "Give me all of what you have!"

Tea helped Yami stand up.

"You failed to obey the rules." Yami noted unhappy. He raised his right hand and yelled, "Penalty Game!"

With that, the man screamed in terror and he ran off. Yami held his arm and covered his wound. Tea reached for it, examine it, and advised, "Let's go wash that off."

The two walked over to a park nearby the school. Tea held her friend's arm over the water fountain and poured water to wash away the blood.

"Thank you," Yami said.

"No problem," Tea replied. She took out her bag and removed a cloth. She wrapped it around the injury to keep it clean. When she finished she said, "I should be thanking you for stopping that man."

Yami did hear what the girl had said but was lost in thoughts.

"_I know when Yugi takes control, he'll have the same small gash that I do_." He walked away from Tea and continued on, "_I had caused not only problems with Yugi but also with Tea_."

He looked out at the sun as it began to melt into the horizon. The view reminded him of Yugi for some reason. The way the bright, orange and yellow ball glowed as it said goodby to the world and it would be back soon.

At that moment, Yami felt a sharp pain in his lower abdominal area. He gasped in agony and clutched his stomach area as he landed on one knee. When Tea saw this, she quickly knelt down and asked, "Yami, what's wrong! Does something hurt!"

Yami gasped and answered, "Yes but… it's not me… There's… there's something wrong… with Yugi!"

Tea's eyes widen and asked, "What's wrong with Yugi?"

"I'm not sure," Yami replied truthfully. He observed his partner had been having problems for the past day and this could be one of the reasons behind it.

"But… I think he might need… medical attention." Yami suggested. Tea nodded her head. She pulled out her cell phone and called for an ambulance.

"It's ok, Yami; help is on the way." Tea informed as she held on to her friend.

"What's going on?" Joey asked Tea as he and Tristan suddenly appeared.

"We saw that an ambulance was coming." Tristan observed.

The girl was surprised to see her two companions, but she decided to ask questions later. The two boys saw Yugi, rather, Yami on the ground with his arms wrapped around his waist and gasping for air.

"Hey man," Joey said as he knelt down, "Just hang on a little longer."

"The medics are almost here," Tristan said, "But shouldn't they take Yugi since it is his body?"

Yami looked up a bit confused as he always thought he and Yugi shared the same body.

"He's right," Tea said, "The doctors are going to need to examine Yugi and ask him the questions."

Yami nodded his head. He closed both of his eyes and before he commenced the switch, he thought, "_I'm sorry for causing you this, Yugi_."

Tea and Joey grasped the body as it went from Yami to Yugi. The young teen eyes widen. He gasped in pain and while firmly continuing to have his arms wrapped around his diaphragm. He was nearly knocked out from the throbbing sting.

Two medics came by and took Yugi firmly from Tea and Joey. They placed the almost limp body on a stretcher and then wheeled the boy out to the ambulance. The three friends could only watch as their small buddy was wheezing in pain and was losing color as he was placed within the car.

"We need to follow him!" Joey announced ready to take off.

"We also need to inform Mr. Mutou." Tea advise.

"We could also maybe get a lift with him." Tristan said.

The three nodded their head as Tea pulled out her cell phone and called the Turtle Game Shop.

Xxx

Everyone abided in the Waiting Room impatiently for the news about their friend. Tea sat down on a chair and closed her eyes. She did not know why Yugi suddenly collapse like that, and she did not enjoy having the same images of what just occurred happen again in her mind. She did, however, wanted him to recover. Her prayers were interrupted when a nurse came out and had asked Yugi's grandpa if he showed any serious signs of medical problems.

The elderly man sighed and said, "The only thing that I'm aware of is that his appetite went down. He had not been eating as much as he use to."

The woman wrote down the information on her clip board. Tea stood up and decided to help out by informing, "Ma'am, Yugi also has not been himself."

Everyone looked at the brave female teen. The nurse walked over and was early waiting to write down any more information. Tea continued, "I'm not sure if this counts as anything, but he has been somewhat depressed about… something. He had also took some pain killers earlier on."

"I assumed he had taken them over a period of time," the nurse questioned.

"Probably." Tea and Yugi's grandfather answered.

"The doctors also noticed that there is small gash on his right arm, how did he get that?"

Tea answered he was pushed and fell to the ground. When the nurse was done, she walked back over to the room where she had walked out. After waiting in silence, Tea decided to ask Joey and Tristan, "Where did you both come from earlier today?"

"Err…" was what both men stuttered.

"We kinda followed you both around to make sure that everything was ok." Tristan explained sheepishly.

"Yeah, we were both worried after all." Joey added.

Tea believed it was not right to scold the two as they were just as concern about Yugi and Yami as she was. Suddenly, a nurse came over and told the group they could see Yugi. They walked quietly into a small room where the curtains were closed and Yugi's necklace was placed on a nightstand.

Everyone saw how pale their friend became over the trip to the hospital. Luckily for them, they did not have to wait any longer for Yugi to wake up. Bit by bit the small teen opened his eyes. He managed to make them halfway open. His vision at first was hazy but when he saw everyone in the room, he smiled and whispered, "Hi, everyone."

"Hey, Yugi." everyone greeted back relieved that their companion was all right. He looked down at his arm that felt itchy and saw a bandage wrapped around it professionally. Before Yugi could question what happened, a doctor came into the room carrying a clipboard. He had a stern look on his face.

"I have the test results back from the lab," he said, "But, I can only disgust the matter with family only."

Before Yugi's friends left, the adolescent protested, "Wait… Let them… stay…."

Yugi's grandpa understood his grandson's need. The elderly man nodded his head and said, "It's all right with us if they stay."

The doctor cleared his throat and went on, "We had taken a blood sample from the patient and ran some tests, which is why he has that small band-aid wrapped around his finger."

Yugi looked down at his left middle finger and realized a band-aid was there. He looked back at the doctor as he continued, "He managed to test negative for almost everything, which is good, except for one thing."

Everyone waited anxiously to hear what the doctor knew what was wrong with their small buddy.

"He had tested positive for having a tapeworm."

Everyone gasped.

"A… tapeworm?" Joey asked confused. Tea went on to explain, "We barely know any information from our biology class but we did learn that a tapeworm causes problems within the intestine of a human being. The said parasite lives within a host and sucks the nutrients from the host while causing damage."

"Correct, sounds like you could be a doctor" the man said trying to make light of the situation, "But, yes, the symptoms include having lower abdominal pain, vomit, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight lost. It's a good thing we caught it early but unfortunately, there isn't much that we could do other than give you some medicine that will hopefully destroy the parasite."

"But how does someone get a tapeworm?" Tristan asked. The man replied, "He might have caught it from eating an animal that had consumed a tapeworm that eventually laid eggs within the creature. They can live within pork, beef, or fish. Although it is common for citizens to have tapeworms within Africa and South Asia, it usually only is a problem if the food is undercooked or the place that served the food was careless and did not take care of its restaurant. Is it possible young Yugi went to a place like that from the past few weeks?"

Everyone looked at the petite teen, who had his eyes closed. He clutched his hands into fists and squeezed the blanket he had between his fingers. He thought back to the times where he would feel pain, such as abdominal discomfort and vomit. He was not feeling well but was disgusted something like a tapeworm was living off of him in such a manner. He wanted to vomit from the idea, but he mainly wanted to throw up as that was one of the symptoms. Yugi fought within himself to keep it down.

"After all, there were several places that were closed due to too many health violations," the doctor informed, "And because many people just feel discomfort and vomit, they often think they are coming down with something else. So, it was only natural to take pain killers. However, I'm going to prescribe him some medicine that will help."

The professional then left the room to give Yugi a moment of privacy with his friends. Tea walked closer to her friend and gave him a hug. Yugi was grateful his pals cared about him, but he was more worried about his darker half rather than himself. There was a moment of silence before Yugi asked, "What happened to Yami?"

Tea sat at the edge of the bed and explained, "We did managed to talk, but he was tongue tied between his words and his emotions."

Yugi nodded his head and waited for her to continue, "We went for a shot walk and then this guy came out and demanded the Puzzle. Yami managed to play a game with him and win. The robber didn't take it well so he tackled him and Yami fell to the floor and that's why you have a bandage on your arm."

The young looked back down at his right arm and thought, "_Yami… Please be ok._"

Yugi sighed. Tea further explained, "I think he feels as though he's using others. We all know it isn't true but… he raised his voice after I told him to think of me as a hostess in showing him around again."

Yugi looked at his friend then back down at his sheets. He, too, was at lost of words. He didn't know how to feel.

"Don't overwork yourself, Yugi," the elderly man finally said something. He understood his grandson was worried about his companion who lived in the Puzzle, but the boy needed to also focus on himself. "You are also not feeling well and you need your rest."

Yugi nodded his head, "I know, Grandpa. I'll do what the doctors tell me to do."

Tea hugged her childhood friend once more and everybody left. At that moment, Yugi looked around and saw a small trashcan by his nightstand. He reached for it and started to throw up. He was feeling exhausted after having been through so much as well as having to fight to keep the bile down. His body started to shake as he inhaled in gasps.

"_Ooo… this hurts… Stupid parasite… taking away my time from my friends… making everyone worry… Ack! Not again!" _

He threw up once more. When he was done with another set, he held on to the trashcan just in case. He calmed himself down by taking charge of his breathing. He closed his eyes and focused on inhaling and exhaling.

The door to the room opened and a different doctor came into the room. The woman handed her patient two pills in a small, disposable cup. She explained, "The small, white pill is treatment for the tapeworm and the other is to help you sleep. The white pill's side effects include drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, headache, lower back pain, sweating, and fever. But, keep in mind this is to only assist your body in the fight against the said tapeworm."

Yugi nodded his head and was prepared to take the pill.

"The other pill will help you sleep tonight." The woman left a small cup full of water then walked out of the room.

Yugi placed the white pill in his hand. He grabbed his water cup and took a few sips of water, then swallowed the pill. He repeated the same pattern for his other medication. He placed both cups on the nightstand and grabbed his Puzzle.

He looked at the mysterious eye and thought, "_Why hasn't Yami been answering me?_"

The boy closed his eyes and decided to pay his friend a little visit.

Xxx

Yugi found himself in his Soul Room. He looked across the hallway and saw his friend's door. He was relieved to know he was were still connected with his darker half. He walked over and made it to the door. He tried to pull the handle but it was no use as the room was locked. Yugi knocked on the door, "Yami? Can you hear me?"

The boy waited for an answer but did not receive one.

"It's me, Yugi. Can you please come out?" Yugi begged as he knocked a little harder. Still, there was no answer. Yugi wrapped his arms around his shoulders as he began to feel very lonely. The teen suddenly lost his balance for a moment. He placed one hand on his head and the other against his friend's sealed off door for support.

"I guess the pills are working," Yugi observed. He slowly walked back to his room but before he entered, the adolescent looked back over to Yami's Soul Room. He sighed as he went inside his own room and collapsed on the ground.

Xxx

Yugi awoke in the real world. He then lowered his eyes to being halfway open. He could feel the pull of sleepiness over his entire body. His physique and mind begged for the boy to close his eyes and enter slumber.

He wanted to get better soon but in the back of his mind he couldn't help but worry about Yami. After a few moments of hazy thoughts, Yugi finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Xxx

Yami's Soul Room

Yami sat down against one of his walls. Because he had tried to hid from everyone, Yami did not hear anything that had happened earlier. He was too focused on being attacked once more because someone was greedy and wanted the Puzzle.

"People everywhere want to get their hands on it. Because of that, Yugi is in danger. We manage to pull through together, but here we are once more in the hospital."

Yami immediately stood up when he felt that there was something wrong with Yugi. He was unsure what was going on but he did manage to hear Yugi's thoughts: "_Ooo…this hurts… Stupid parasite… taking away my time from my friends… making everyone worry… Ack! Not again!" _

Yami slid down against his wall once more. He pulled his legs closer to him as sorrow and shame entered his soul. He was in silence for several minutes until he heard someone knocking on his door. The spirit knew it was Yugi as this was Yugi's mind; he was just lucky to be there.

"Yami? Can you hear me?"

Yami heard his light say but did not say anything.

"It's me, Yugi. Can you please come out?"

Still, the spirit did not have the energy to reply. He looked down at his right arm where he had taken a hit earlier. Tears build up within the eyes of the former pharaoh.

He slide down as his wall as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Yugi."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Whoot!

Yami- Waa! Yugi! I'm so sorry!

YChao- Meh heh, well, the definition of a parasite is a pest taking that lives within something else to survive.

Chao- Like a younger sibling?

YChao- Sure, why not.

Chao- Yayness!

Yami- Waa! Sorry Yugi!

YChao- Well, do the fans think that Yami is a parasite?

Chao- (flying on an emo unicorn) Eee! Please review! Thank you all who have


	4. Fighting Alone?

Chao- Ha ha…update…

YChao- Do you even watch any medical shows?

Chao- Nah, the closest thing Chao ever came to that was _Ozzy and Drix_.

YChao- Riiight… how old are you again?

Chao- Negative 3,000!

**Chapter 4: Fighting Alone?**

Yugi awoke late next morning. As he sat up, his mind became hazy. He placed his right hand on his forehead.

"I feel…warm…" he mumbled. As he straighten himself up, a powerful wave of memories from last night came over him. "Ah… that's right… The doctor said that a side effect from my medicine was getting dizzy."

He glanced over at his necklace kept on a nightstand. The object shined a little dull against the sunlight. "The Puzzle never felt so far away."

The door to the room opened and a nurse came in carrying a tray of food.

"I see you're awake," he observed. Yugi nodded his head. The nurse explained, "Your doctor had instructed you take your medication with food. As the pill needs to be taken routinely as well as with food or water, I'll be giving it to you at meal times."

He walked over with his clipboard to record information about the patient. Taking out his thermometer, he swiped it across Yugi's forehead.

"You have a slight fever," the man informed, "But that's just one of the side effects."

He then gave a tray of food on Yugi's lap and made his exit. The adolescent frowned at his plate. He did not want to eat his toast placed in front of him. However, he knew if he wanted to beat this pest, he would have to take a few bites. The only problem Yugi encountered was that it hurt when he swallowed. He placed one hand on his throat.

"Ugh… it's the same feeling that I have when I'm sick at home." The teen had only managed to eat half of one slice. He took a few sips of water then grabbed his pill that was in a small paper cup. When he swallowed it, he mumbled, "Un… This pill tastes so bitter!"

Throughout the day, the ill teen felt lonely. He was aware his friends had to attend school and his grandpa had to work, but he felt sad there was no one to talk to. Many people like nurses and janitorial people passed by, but it wasn't the same as having a chat with a pal. Yugi really missed his yami. He sat up in his bed and looked at his Puzzle once more.

"_Yami… it's been awhile… Won't you please come out and talk to me?_" Yugi placed his hand on his forehead as he knew a headache coming on.

"_I feel…warmer…than I did this morning_." He could feel his body was becoming balmy as well. He took off his sheets for a moment but then placed them back on immediately as he felt cold.

"Ugh… Too hot for these sheets but too cold to have them off." He decided it would be best just to lie down on his bed and go to sleep. Soon, the boy started to toss and turn with discomfort.

A few hours later, another nurse walked into Yugi's room. She swiped her thermometer on his forehead and said, "Oh, my, he's a got a fever of 103 (f) degrees."

She left for a moment then returned with a small towel and an icepack. She wrapped the loose icepack with the cloth and gently placed it on Yugi's forehead.

Xxx

While remaining in his Soul Room, Yami continued to stay in the same position that he was in.

**Yami's P.O.V.**

I look down at my arm where I had received a gash from the other day. Was it luck I did not receive a broken bone? That would have been tragic; Yugi would have to wear a cast and not function well. He would just wear a smile on his face even though he would dislike having to work around it.

I noticed even though I ignored him, he still chooses to wear this Puzzle. Does he feel too attached to let it go or does he really still care about me? He could have easily sent me home with someone and placed me back into the gold box where I belong.

I continued to sit here in silence like I have been doing for the past several hours. I couldn't stand the thought of me being here any longer. I should be long gone. I should have been long gone. Instead, I am here sharing a body with a young, teenage boy's body… But…

What if I hadn't been here?

Would Yugi still be in the hospital like he is now?

Would he even have the same life as he does now?

There are times where he had near death experiences… All because of me… His soul was almost lost to the Shadows because another being had wanted the power of this Puzzle… This pendant Yugi wears is nothing but a curse…If that robber had a gun, then what?

I knew I had to protect both Yugi and Tea… I would have gladly given my life to protect those who I care about… Just because if Yugi dies and I go along with him doesn't mean I don't want him to die… I don't want him to die since he has so much to live for… he saved me from myself countless times… Have I ever done the same for him?

I quickly stood up as I felt something else was wrong with Yugi. I left my Soul Room to check in on him. I was in the hospital room and noticed the lights were turned off. I look down and saw Yugi was asleep. However, he didn't look too well. His face was pale and his body was trembling. He look similar to the way he did last winter when he contracted that terrible fever. On those nights, he had trouble eating and sleeping and his grandpa did not let him go to school.

My focused returned to the present as I saw Yugi was sweating. I leaned over and lifted up the icepack. I brushed his bangs out of his face. I then grabbed a clean cloth that was placed on the nightstand and gently brushed away some of the sweat. I rewrapped the icepack in the cloth and carefully placed it back on Yugi's forehead.

I noticed the sheets on Yugi were pushed down. I decided to pull them back up and over his body. I stayed out a little longer… I was worried about him… I could see even while he was trying to rest he was still suffering.

Just then, I heard the door open. At once, I retreated back to my Puzzle. The only people who entered the room were a nurse and a doctor. I observed how the two had a serious look on their face as they watched over Yugi.

I listened in carefully as the nurse said, "One of the medicine's side effect was to give him a slight fever. So why is it going up?"

I quickly looked back over at Yugi. He was breathing is gasps. I could feel within myself slightly what he was experiencing, and it was far from pleasant.

I heard the doctor reply, "He might be suffering from something else… Did anyone write any known allergies the boy may have?"

"No," answered the nurse as she handed the doctor a clipboard, "Although one of his friend's did say he wasn't feeling like himself."

My eyes widen a little. There was something else wrong with Yugi?

I heard the doctor respond, "It may be possible if he's worried about something else, this could cause him to not rest properly, and he's feelings may induce more stress causing his fever to go up. If this continues then we may have to prescribe him something else that can help his mind relax."

The two professionals then left the room.

I looked back at Yugi… What else could possibly be wrong with him? I saw he was starting to wake up. I knew I had to get back into the Puzzle. Even if it meant imprisoning myself, Yugi needs to focus on recovering.

**End Yami's P.O.V.**

Xxx

**Yugi's P.O.V.**

I awoke feeling slightly cooler. It felt like there was something on my head. I reached up and saw someone had placed an icepack on my head. It must have been one of the nurses….

I feel groggy… This must have been placed on me to keep my fever down. This was an unfortunate side effect for my medicines… That's right… I'm on medication… for something wrong within me… I sighed and looked up at my ceiling.

Down inside of me there was a creature living within my intestines.

It was living off of me.

It was taking away my food that I needed to survive.

It was giving me problems that I had suffered throughout the past few days.

It was giving me pains that made everyone around me nervous about me.

Now, everyone is worried about me as I lie in a hospital bed once more.

AAHH!

I just felt another wave of pain down there!

I shut my eyes tight as sat up holding my waist to ease the throbbing. It hurts so much! When the pain started to go away, I slowly lowered myself down back onto my mattress.

I just hope this medication will work soon. I don't want to be living with this thing forever…

I turned over to my side. Speaking of the pills, I don't like taking them that much. They have a bitter taste and I always have to take it with food. This stupid parasite is the reason why I'm not hungry. All I do is look at my food. I try and eat it, but when I swallow my throat starts to hurt. The only time it does not hurt is when I drink water. And even then the taste is so bitter. I turned myself on my back once more.

My arms were still wrapped around my waist as I closed my eyes. The first image that came to mind was Yami. I miss him so much. The ache I feel in my heart hurts more than what I feel physically. He was by my side when I fell to the floor and I didn't know what was wrong with me.

Why isn't he by my side now?

I've tried calling him so many times before and he hasn't answered me.

Why?

Why is he being so distant?

I had my brain scramble possibilities, but nothing came up. The only thing I could remember was that he pulled away and said something about it being best if he stayed in the Puzzle.

How could that be for the best?

Best for what?

For who?

Him?

Me?

I don't want to judge him but… I haven't even heard his side of the story yet. I reached over for my pendant and placed it on my lap. I traced my finger around the eye. I thought back to the times where we all had fun times together.

It was only Saturday where I ate from that disgusting place, where we all had fun riding the rollercoaster, playing the arcade games, having the ketchup war between Joey and Tristan… I can't help but feel lonely without my other heart.

I dropped the Puzzle as I felt myself going to throw up. I reached for my trashcan once more and did so. I am not enjoying having to keep doing this. Even when I was sick with a normal illness, I didn't puke this much! I could feel my whole body shiver. I'm starting to get cold. I could feel tears forming as the pain was becoming more and more unbearable.

I don't want this parasite in me!

I only want to share my body with Yami!

**End Yugi's P.O.V.**

**To be continued…**

Chao- Almost done!

Yugi- Why am I the one going through all this pain?

YChao- For all the fans who like Yugi angst, duh!

Yugi- Eep!

Chao- (skimming Biology book) Hmm… Look at all the possible fun that this author could have!

Yugi- Oh nose! Yami save me!

YChao- He's a little busy at the moment… Meh heh…

(else where)

Yami- What do you mean you're all out of the frosted pink kitty cookies?

(back here)

Chao- Thank you all who review!


	5. The Battle Within

Chao- Ah… Chao just had this idea for quite some time…

YChao- So readers shouldn't take everything you say as a study guide?

Chao- Not unless they want to fail…

**Chapter 5: The Battle Within**

Yugi looked down at the bowl of soup he was given. He had only managed to eat roughly ten spoonfuls of his food. Placing his utensil back on his tray, he continued to stare.

He could see his own reflection. His flesh was a little paler than usual, and small bags laid underneath his eyes. But he did not care so much about how he looked; he was too tired and miserable to think about appearances.

His mind then conjured up an image of Yami within the soup. A tear fell down the young boy's face which landed in the reflection causing the image to ripple. He couldn't take the depressing emotion anymore so he sat his dish away from him by placing it on his nightstand.

Wrapping his arms around his shoulders, he started to cry. Not from physical pain, but the boy felt very lonely; his friend had not said anything to him at all. He dried his eyes and lowered himself back on his mattress. As he lied on his bed, his entire body began to suffer from aches. His arms felt like jelly, his legs felt numb, his head was hurting from a headache, his stomach and diaphragm fought to hold down his food and vomit.

"_Ugh… everything hurts…" He placed one hand on his forehead. "I still feel warm… warmer than I did last night_."

Yugi moved his hand over his mouth and coughed a painful cough. He knew he needed sleep so he closed his eyes and allowed his physique to slumber.

Xxx

Yugi soon found himself wondering around a completely dark place. He had a feeling he was no longer in his hospital room.

"Where am I?" he asked as he continued walking. He looked down at himself and saw he was still in his pajamas, but he was not wearing his Puzzle.

"_I feel so empty without it._"A thought then occur to him_, "Where's Yami? Is he here at all?_"

The teen took off running trying to see if he could find anybody. After a minute or two of running, Yugi knew he was heading nowhere. Everything still looked the same. The teen placed his hands on his knees and rested for a moment. Soon, he started to hear voices.

"Who's there?" Yugi quickly asked out loud. In a creepy tone, one voice said, "You're better off without him."

"What? Without who?" Yugi asked as he spun around.

"You've already held him back once…" another voice mentioned.

"Held who back?" Yugi asked as he looked around.

"He was bad… He almost killed people just to claim victory!" a third voice joined.

"What's going on? Who are you talking about?" Yugi demanded to know as he shouted off into the shadows surrounding him. At that moment, he could feel himself being wrapped around by a slimy feeling of darkness.

"Let go of me!" Yugi demanded as he was lifted off of the ground. As the adolescent struggled to break free, he heard the first voice answered, "That worthless spirit who is within you…"

"He truly has no business being here anymore…" the second voice replied.

"_They're talking about Yami!_" Yugi thought as he continued to struggle.

Xxx

Yami paced back and forth within his Soul Room. With all the information he had heard, he was too worried about Yugi to sit still anymore.

"Should I at least stay until Yugi is out of the hospital?" Yami debated with himself.

He had wanted to allow Yugi to continue on living a normal life, but the dark spirit couldn't help but worry about the safety of his partner. Just then, Yami could feel his connection with Yugi being threaten. He quickly left his Soul Room and entered the real world.

Once he was within the hospital room, Yami scanned the room to see if could locate any dark forces within the area. When he found nothing, he looked down at Yugi to check in on him. Yami was horrified to see Yugi was tossing in his bed. The ill adolescent seemed to be terrified by something.

Yami immediately understood Yugi was experiencing a nightmare. He knelt down and grabbed Yugi's shoulders as he gently tried to wake him. He noticed his hands were a little wet; he knew the sweat was coming from Yugi.

"Yugi! Wake up!" Yami bellowed trying to help.

It was no use.

"_This is worse than I thought!_" Yami gently placed the boy back on the bed and rushed back to his Soul Room. He could feel the presence of sinister force at work.

Yami slammed open his door and dashed over to the other side. As he did, the power of a dark force was growing stronger. He was displeased to see Yugi's door was sealed shut.

Yami grabbed the handle and continued to pull with all of his strength to get the door open. After several tries, the spirit managed to get the room to open. He grunted when he did not see a bright light, any toys, or even Yugi. He saw only darkness.

"I must save Yugi," he declared as he raced in.

Xxx

"You're better off without him." the third voice encouraged.

"What?" Yugi exclaimed.

"He has no value to your life." the second voice argued.

Yugi didn't want to hear anymore. He struggled and yelled for help, "Yami!"

"Why do you want help from him?" inquired the first voice.

"He's caused you nothing but problems," informed the third voice.

"You've feared him before in the past…" the second voice pointed out.

Yugi knew they were right. He was afraid. In the past, when he first had the Puzzle completed, he was afraid his friends would leave him if they knew something was not right with him. Yugi stopped struggling against the darkness as he remembered back to that time. He did not want to suffer through the pain of being alone again, so he kept Yami a secret.

The first voiced continued, "You also had to try and hold him back in the past against other duelists."

Yugi knew they were right again. He was afraid of Yami harming someone who did not deserve to get hurt.

"Why not get rid of him?" the third voice asked.

Yugi thought about what the voices were arguing against him. He thought about the times were he was terrified of the spirit that was within him.

"Is he any different from the parasite that lies within you?" the second voice asked.

Yugi's eyes shot open.

"_How did they know about that?_" As he struggled to break free, Yugi shouted with all his heart "Yami is different from that worm in me! He may have tried to hurt others for justice or victory, but he's learned from that mistake! Just like I have to live with being scared of him from before, he has to learn to live with the choices he had made. But…. He's my friend!"

With that Yugi found the strength and broke free. He sprinted far from where he was being kept.

"Yami! Where are you?" He called out as he continued to run. Soon, the teen saw a small sparkle of light. He dashed over to see what it was. He stopped when he came close enough to see the object. Surrounded by darkness, Yugi could see his Puzzle lying on the floor.

"My Puzzle!" Yugi cried out as he rushed over and picked it up. The boy fell to his knees, exhausted from running.

"Yami, can you hear me?" Yugi asked. There was another flash of light. Yugi covered his eyes for a moment with his hands. When the light dimmed, the small teen was able to see someone.

"Yami!" Yugi cried for joy. He stood up and embraced his darker half.

"Yugi? What are you doing here?" Yami asked alarmed.

"I… don't know!" Yugi answered truthfully, "I'm not even sure how I got here!"

Yugi hugged Yami even tighter as he was frighten.

"Yugi, you need to get out of here!" the dark spirit warned.

"But… I… I don't want to lose you!" the boy sobbed.

Yami gripped Yugi hard as he and the smaller boy tumbled to the ground. Yugi opened his eyes and saw flashes of lightning striking the ground. He observed one had almost hit the both of them.

"Yami! What's going on?" Yugi asked panicking.

"The Shadows are trying to get rid of me." Yami answered as he stood up. He gathered together his magic and shot back at a mysterious dark cloud.

"Get rid of you?" Yugi asked confused.

"No time for questions! Just go!" Yami ordered as he shot another blast of magic. The boy struggled to stand up as he was still holding the Puzzle.

"No! I can't leave you!" Yugi said wanting to stay and help. He saw his darker half was having difficulty fighting back while dodging the lightning bolts.

"Yugi, it's not you they're after. It's me!" Yami informed.

"I know that! But I'm still not leaving!" Yugi replied. Just then, a lightning bolt was shot and it was aiming right for Yugi.

"Yugi!" Yami called out as he charged over and managed to push the boy out of the way.

"Yami!" Yugi cried out as he saw his friend being blasted. He dashed over to his friend's side.

"Yami!" the boy cried out once more as he knelt down to his friend. Yami managed to get on his knees. "Yugi…. The Shadows… they want me… You need to…"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Yugi informed.

"Yugi… you need to… disassemble the… Puzzle." Yami stuttered.

The boy's eyes grew wide.

"What," he asked in confusion and sadness.

"If you… destroy the Puzzle… then everything will go away…" the former pharaoh explained as he stood up.

"But… but so will you!" Yugi argued back.

"Yes," Yami agreed, "But it's better that way."

Yugi could feel tears gathering up in his eyes.

"I can't!" he sobbed.

"You must… I need to distract them… Go! There isn't much time!" Yami walked back over to the ominous cloud and started to fight once more.

Yugi stood there crying with the Puzzle in his hands. He did not want to shatter his friend's soul.

"Do it!" Yami ordered.

Yugi's concentration was broken as he heard his friend giving a difficult command. The young adult nodded. He knelt down on his knees and took off the bottom piece of the upside down pyramid.

As soon as he did, Yugi felt a sharp pain coming from his chest. With one hand holding the Puzzle, Yugi dropped the first piece of the Puzzle, which landed on the ground, as he gripped his shirt. Just then, a memory of seeing past duelists came into view then disappeared fast.

"_What was… that?_" Yugi thought to himself as he breathed heavily.

After a moments rest, Yugi took off another piece. Again, the adolescent felt the same agony in the same area. Within each trial, the pain was becoming worse and worse. At the same time, memories from the teen's past came and went.

"I can't do it anymore!" Yugi cried out. He looked down and saw he managed to pull off only four shards. He then checked in on his friend and was horrified to see pieces of his darker half disappear.

"Yami!" Yugi shrieked horrified at the sight.

"Keep going!" Yami instructed as he continued to fight.

Tears fell down Yugi's face as he pulled out the Eye. Yugi found himself not breathing for a moment. He grasped his throat as he struggled to get air. At that moment, images of Joey, Tristan, and Tea appeared. Yugi was speechless. They soon vanished as well. Yugi dropped the Puzzle and screamed in agony.

He began to sob once more as he was unable to bear the pain of tearing apart his other heart any longer. He knew without his Puzzle, he would not have been friends with Joey and Tristan, his bond with Tea might not have been as strong, and he would have never met Yami. The small teen looked up and saw his friend was having trouble battling.

"I'm sorry, Yami!" Yugi bellowed as he picked the shards of his other heart and placed them together in correct area. Yugi allowed the tears to flow down. He smiled when he was done and saw Yami was fighting easier against the darkness.

"I don't care if the Shadows eliminate me!" Yugi declared as he stood up, "We're in this together!"

Immediately, a shot of lightning was aiming for Yugi once more.

"Yugi!" Yami yelled as he ran over to protect his partner, but it was too late.

The powerful beam had hit Yugi. The small teen screamed in pain as he felt the sting of the weapon engulfed his entire body. Yugi could hear more voices but everything was a blur. Closing his eyes in exhaustion, he could no longer stay awake. He allowed his body to hit the ground, unable to move at all.

"I'm sorry," he slipped out as he felt his whole form growing weak.

At that moment, Yugi felt a familiar touch enter his body. He then felt another hand grab his risk and could feel his body being pulled out of the Shadows.

The young adult awoke within his hospital room. The moon was out shining against him. He then felt a cold pack on his head. "_I guess someone placed a new one on me…" _

Soon, a wave of pain overpowered his body. He groaned in discomfort. Every part of his body desired to rest, and Yugi had wanted to give in. However, even though his mind was hazy, the teen knew he had to complete at least one task before falling asleep.

He allowed his body to rest as he entered his Soul Room.

Xxx

Yugi could see several of his toys had been destroyed as a foul stench of something evil lingered within his room.

"What… What happened?" the teen asked himself as he struggled to stand up. Once he gathered enough energy, he walked over to Yami's Soul Room door and knocked lightly. He was worried about his friend and wanted to check in on him.

"Yami," Yugi began, "Will you please come out?"

There was no answer.

"Yami! Please!" the boy begged, "I feel very lonely without you! I haven't seen you for quite some time!"

He fell to the floor on his knees crying, "I'm worried about you… Will you… at least tell me why at lease your acting like this? … Please?"

Just like that, the door opened. Yugi could feel a familiar present helping him up. It was the same feeling he had when he was trapped within the Shadows. He looked up and saw his darker half.

"Yami!" Yugi cried out with joy. He embraced his pal tightly, never wanting to let go. He had so many questions, "What happen! Are you ok! I've missed you so much!"

Yami remained silent. He only allowed the teen to continue to hold him and cry. The spirit wrapped his arms around Yugi as he held onto him to keep Yugi from falling. When the teen was done, Yami slowly pulled him back.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," he finally said.

"Will… will you at least tell me what's going on?" Yugi requested.

Yami thought about the plea for a moment. He looked into the teary eyes of an innocent soul. He nodded his head since he knew he was overdue for an explanation.

"I've caused you nothing but problems…" he began, "I am no better than that parasite that lives within you physically."

Yugi's eyes widen a bit.

"But Yami!" he interrupted, "You're nothing like that!"

"But I am!" Yami argued back, "I've caused you pain as well as difficulty! I'm sharing your body, and I've taken up so much from you, and I haven't returned anything back! The only difference between me and that other parasite is that I can only be destroyed in one way! Please, for your safety, will you disassemble the Puzzle?"

Yugi's eyes widen open even more. He could not believe what had just been instructed by his partner, his darker half, his friend.

Yugi could feel agony enter his chest as he repeated back, "You… you want me to … break …my other heart?"

**To be continued…**

Chao- Dun dun dun! Will Yugi have the courage to do the request?

YChao- Bah whatever….

Chao- Please review and thanks to all who had reviewed!


	6. The Term Host Redefined

Chao- Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Yugi- Yeah, maybe for you!

YChao- Uh, duh!

Chao- Don't forget about the readers!

**Chapter 6: The Term "Host" Redefined**

Yugi appeared absolutely shocked upon the request he was given.

He stared directly into his partner's eyes filled with complete sorrow and agony.

The young boy thought back to just a few moments ago where he was trapped in a realm of unknown darkness. It was when he had pulled several parts from the pendant, his chest started to hurt and memories of people he had met flew by. He did not want to go through that pain again, but he also did not want to expose his friend to having a shatter soul.

Yugi fell forward and grasped Yami, who was a bit stunned at the teen's reaction.

"I can't do it…" Yugi whispered.

His grip on his friend started to become weak. Yami understood the adolescent was both physically and mentally drained. He lifted up the body and carried him to the proper Soul Room. Within the room were small pieces of shadows holding on to the wall and destroying toys.

Yami kept a hold on Yugi and with his free hand he waved it and commanded, "Shadows, leave this innocent soul at once!"

The room began to fill up with light and the dark magic was gone. The former pharaoh gently placed Yugi's lower body on the floor while keeping balance to the top with his other hand. He looked down at the soul who seemed to be resting out of exhaustion. He decided to stay with Yugi for a bit longer to be sure no more harm would come.

Time passed and when Yami believed his companion would be well enough, he carefully placed the boy's body in a comfortable position. When he was about to leave, Yami felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down and saw Yugi was grabbing on to his sleeve.

"Yugi?" Yami inquired.

"Y… Yami." Yugi whispered, "Don't… leave."

Slowly, the young adult opened his eyes half way, "Please… don't."

"But, Yugi… I…" Yami tried to explain, "I… tried to do what I thought was best… I thought it would be best to have the Puzzle destroyed but I guess that was too much of a request, especially someone in your condition. Still, I think I should leave now."

Yugi continued to hold on to Yami's arm for support as he struggled to sit up. His other arm was used to hold his waist as a small pain came from down there.

"Yugi! Don't!" Yami protested as he knelt by his light, "You need to rest!"

"See, this proves… that you are not… a… parasite." Yugi pointed out as he continued to hold on to Yami.

"What?" the spirit asked confused.

"You're concerned… about me…" Yugi smiled a tiny one, "Just like you have been… for the past… few days."

The dark spirit was surprised Yugi knew he was there all along. The pharaoh waited for Yugi to continue, "I still felt our connection… I knew you hadn't left me… but I still felt lonely."

Yami was unsure what to say. He would open his mouth then close it. He assisted Yugi to lean against him. As the teen rested he explained, "Just like last winter…"

Flashback

It was last winter where Yugi had contracted a terrible fever.

The moon was blocked by dark clouds as rain poured down heavily. Wind and water clashed hard against the window. Yugi was asleep on his bed, wheezing and slightly coughing. A cold piece of cloth was placed on the teen's forehead to help keep the fever down. He had also taken his medication to help fight off the virus.

Yami sat on Yugi's chair as he watched over his light. The spirit worried about Yugi's safety; he had been very ill for two days. He did not go to school, and he had requested not to see his friends as he did not want them to catch his illness. He managed to eat a little, but the only food staying down were tiny amounts of soup and water.

Yami stood up and gently brushed Yugi's bangs away from his features. He reached over and grabbed the icepack and flipped over so the cooler side was against Yugi's head. Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning quickly followed by a roar of thunder.

"This has been quite a storm," Yami remarked as he looked out the window. His attention was drawn back to Yugi when he saw the boy started to wake up.

"Yugi," Yami whispered as he rushed to aid Yugi as he struggled to sit up. The boy wiped his eyes dry with his sleeve then coughed another terrible cough. The dark spirit continued to hold on to his lighter half as he advised, "You're still not well. You need to rest."

The teen nodded his head in agreement as he rubbed his watery eyes once more. He then started to fall forward and was caught by Yami. The older boy held on to Yugi for a bit. The young adult started to cough once more. The dark spirit rubbed his friend back for comfort then gently assisted the body to relax and lie back down on the mattress.

Yami continued to watch over Yugi for the next few hours. Over time, the boy was breathing easier and some of his color had returned. The rain had lighten up and was now sprinkling gently against the window. The older boy placed one hand over the younger one and observed the illness went down.

Yugi awoke once more and was greeted with a smile from Yami who asked, "How do you feel?"

Yugi smiled back and whispered, "Better… Thanks for caring."

"That's what I'm here for," Yami gently replied.

End Flashback

The older boy reflected on the time when he felt as though he was not a parasite. Yugi whispered, "But what was going on earlier? When I was trapped within an area that I didn't know?"

Yami sighed and answered, "The Shadows were taking advantage of you being in this condition so they were trying to have us separated."

Yugi was quiet for a moment then respond, "I guess you felt bad for feeling like you were only hurting me."

Yami sighed once more and insisted, "I should let you rest."

"Wait!" the smaller boy protested still holding on to his friend, "I'm staying in my Soul Room so I could be with you! That way… my body… can rest."

Yami couldn't help but smile; he knew Yugi was being persistent as well as concerned.

"I… I still feel dizzy but… I really wanted… to talk with… you." Yugi explained with Yami listening, "To… to my understanding… you feel like… a parasite? Like… the one… in me?"

Yami's smile faded away, "_When he says it like that, I feel ridiculous_."

"But… I can't fully blame you for… believing that…" Yugi remarked, "I am here in the hospital again… but really… this could have… happen to… anyone."

Yami was quiet as he thought about what his light had just stated.

"Yes," he agreed, "But the Shadows were after you once more."

The boy nodded slightly and responded, "And you were here… to protect me."

"Of course I would protect you!" Yami protested.

"But why?" the teen asked. The former pharaoh was taken back. He searched his heart for the answer he and Yugi already knew.

"Because we're friends, isn't it." Yugi stated more so than asked. Yami had wanted to say yes, but he was still unsure of himself.

"That's the difference… between you… and this worm." Yugi answered, "This worm… doesn't care about my safety… it only cares that it gets its own food for survival…"

Yami thought about what his partner was saying.

"That worm… is a parasite… but you're not," Yugi tried to explained but was feeling even more exhausted than before. The older spirit noticed this and advised, "Yugi, you should lie down and allow your mind to relax."

"But, I won't be able to relax knowing how you feel," Yugi argued back, "I… I don't want this worm in me."

Tears started to form on the young boy's cheeks. Yami reached over to Yugi and embraced him in a hug to comfort the teen.

"I… I don't want to share my body… with someone who doesn't… care about… me," the small boy sobbed, "I want to beat it… but I… can't do it alone. Like last winter… when I saw sick, I had you and everyone else there for me… My friends would show up… even when I asked them not to… and you… you were there… by my side."

The older boy didn't say anything but stoke the teen's back and allowed him to cry.

"Yami, I… I only want to share my body with you!" the teen cried once more and Yami continued to hold on to him. He allowed the adolescent to soak his shirt with the his partner's tears. However, he was shocked about what Yugi had just said.

"_Yugi had fully accepted me and granted me permission to stay with him. After all I've done to him and after all we've been through, he still wants to be friends_."

Yami smiled as he was touched. Once Yugi had finished crying, the dark spirit pulled him back and looked into his eyes.

"Thank you," Yami said with a smile.

The teen smiled back and said, "That's what I'm here for."

Yugi was satisfied with what he had accomplished. He felt his eyes growing heavier and his mind started to become hazy.

"Go and sleep," Yami instructed, "I'll be here when you wake up."

Yugi closed his eyes and body fell towards Yami's body. The older boy shifted Yugi into a comfortable position, then appeared within the hospital room. He looked down at his friend who seemed to sleeping far easier than what he had been going through.

He closed his eyes and thought, "_Thank you for being my light once more_."

Xxx

Yugi awoke the next morning glad to see his friend had kept his promise.

"Hey," Yami greeted, "How do you feel?"

Yugi smiled and answered, "Fine; just a little tired."

Yami chuckled and replied, "I can imagine; it was a long night for the both of us."

Yugi closed his eyes and nodded. The spirit of the Puzzle did not say anything as he allowed his friend to continue to recover. A few moments later, Yugi woke up as a nurse came in. She took the boy's temperature and commented, "It looks like your fever went down."

Yugi only nodded. The nurse left him a sandwich along with his medicine then left to attend to other patients. The teen struggled to sit up but he was assisted by Yami. The adolescent wrapped one arm around his waist as he straightened up.

"You ok?" Yami asked with concern. Yugi nodded, "Yeah, nothing to worry about."

He reached for his plate and began to eat what he could. He was able to consume a whole slice of toast but could not finish the rest.

"Done already?" Yami inquired as he looked at the remaining left over. Yugi smiled and informed, "That's more then what I have been eating."

The older boy frowned and commented, "Surely you can eat a little bit more?"

Yugi took two more bites of his food and mumbled, "Yami, you're my friend, not my mom."

The dark spirit chuckled at the little remark and responded, "Ok, but you better take your medicine and sleep if you want to see your friends this afternoon."

Yugi smiled and agreed. He popped the pill into his mouth and washed it down with his water. He tried to hide the fact it tasted bitter, but his darker half saw through it and said, "It's good for you."

"I know, I know," Yugi mumbled as he slowly positioned himself onto his back. He stopped for a moment. Yami rushed over to his partner and gently guided the body back to the mattress. Yugi was still very tired so he fell asleep quickly. The spirit was relieved his lighter half was feeling emotionally better, but he still had a long, physical battle to go through.

Yugi slept through the next few hours of the day peacefully. His companion watched over him to be sure his light's recovery went smoothly. The time soon came when everyone would stop by and check in on the patient.

/Yugi, you're friends are coming here to see you,/ Yami said as he felt the presence of their group coming. The teen gradually opened his eyes.

/Are you feeling well enough to see them?/ Yami inquired as he assisted his buddy once more to sit up. Yugi smiled as he nodded his head, /Of course./

/I'll give you all some privacy./ With that, the spirit vanished once more into the Puzzle.

/Yami! Wait!/ Yugi tried to protest, but his friend was gone. /They might want to know how you're doing, too./

The boy looked down at his Puzzle. Just then, the door opened and three friendly faces came by.

"Hey there, Yug!" Joey greeted with glee.

"How's everything been?" Tristan asked. Yugi smiled and greeted his close group of compaions, "I'm feeling much better."

"What about Yami?" Tea asked feeling uneasy about the two's relationship. Yugi continued to smile and announced, "He's back to being here."

"Is he out right now?" Tristan questioned. Yugi shook his head and explain, "Yami is giving us some privacy. Anything interesting happen at school?"

"Just the usual," Joey said with a sigh as he desired something interesting happen.

"Nothing other than taking that test in Biology." Tea informed a little peeved. Yugi frowned as he did not want to discuss anything more that dealt with parasites and hosts.

"But, I'm sure our teacher will give you an excuse, since you were in the hospital." Tea tried to comfort.

"Um, I don't think so." the teen with tri-color hair smirked. Both the girl with ocean blue eyes and Yugi laughed as they knew the statement was true. Chances were, the ill student would still needed to turn in his exam if he wished to earn a passing grade for the course. Tea then rummaged through her book bag and said, "She did start a lecture that I think will be a bit more interesting."

She pulled out her text book and opened it to a page where the chapter was discussing about some animals work together in a mutual agreement as one animal would provide a deed and the other offers protection.

"Do you think this is anything like your relationship with Yami?" Tea asked feeling a little sheepish. Yugi smiled, "Maybe; we do help each other in many ways."

"It's not a negative thing like being a host for having multiple personality disorder, like in my psychology class." Tristan commented.

"I still can't believe we're taking _that _class," Joey mumbled. Everyone laughed.

"We should do something special when you get out," Tea suggested as she clapped her hands together.

"Yeah! What should we do?" Joey agreed getting excited.

"We'll think of something," Tristan said.

Yugi smiled as he looked down at his Puzzle. He wanted to also be sure Yami would enjoy his time together.

Time passed and soon the group of friends had to depart. Yugi was content he was able to enjoy seeing his pals. He was also pleased he didn't have to vomit like he might have if he and Yami were not speaking with each other. Just then, Yugi's doctor came in to check on his patient.

"How have you been," the man asked as he pulled out his stethoscope.

"Fine," Yugi answered. The teen's doctor checked his breathing and heart.

"And how about your fever," he asked as he wrote down some information.

"I feel better," Yugi replied. The doctor checked his patient's temperature by swiping his forehead with a thermometer.

"Looks like it," the man observed, "You just now have a mild fever. There's no need to worry as this is just a small side effect of the medicine."

Yugi simply nodded.

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately, Mr. Mutou?" the doctor asked with Yugi being taken back. The teen looked down at his Puzzle and noted he had not been feeling well while he was worried about his friend.

"If you were," the man began, "It might have been why your fever went up and the reason as to how your stomach was unable to keep the food down. Stress can be a hazard to a human's health."

The teen nodded once more and answered, "I'm feeling better now, honestly."

"That's good to hear," with that, the man left.

Yugi thought about what he had been informed.

/Yami, can you please come out,/ he requested through his mind link with his companion.

"Did you have a nice visit with your friends?" the spirit asked as he reappeared. Yugi nodded but felt a little anxiety from his darker half.

"I know you heard about what the doctor said," Yugi noted to his darker self. Yami frowned but did not say anything. After a moment of quiet, the older boy said, "I was only doing what I thought was best. I do care about you."

Yugi smiled and responded, "I know. And I was worried since I care about you."

"I'm sorry for causing more problems," Yami apologized once more. The smaller boy shook his head and replied, "There's no need for that. No one sees you as someone who does harm. I only want to share my body with you, not with this worm."

Yami smiled.

The teen soon gasped in pain as he felt a problem with his abdominal area. He wrapped that area once more with both arms as he shut his eyes tight.

"Yugi!" Yami bellowed as he rushed over to his friend's side.

The throbbing left as soon as it came.

"I'm ok," Yugi insisted as Yami tenderly helped the teen lie back down on the mattress. Yami was relieved and advised, "Go ahead and continue to get some rest."

Yugi agreed and closed his eyes. However, he was unable to sleep as something bothered him.

**Yugi's P.O.V.**

Darn it!

Yami was so close to feeling like my friend again!

How can I prove he's nothing like the parasite that's in me, literally!

Hmm… Maybe I should retrace my thoughts.

He was feeling fine after our conversation last night, he was fine this morning, and he was fine after I was speaking with my friends. Was it something my doctor said? I mean, I wasn't feeling well as Yami and I were both worried about each other… it was stressful and I didn't have the energy to eat or even fight against this stupid parasite.

Ugh… my head is starting to hurt… Dumb medication… making me feeling dizzy…

It's not like he and I are like those other animals Tea mentioned earlier. Yami and I are friends! But… how can I show him that?… I then thought back to what everyone else was saying…

I guess Yami must have also heard what everyone else was talking about… His ears must have set to listen in every time he hears the word host… What else did everyone say? Tristan had mention that host was also used for a person with multiple personalities and Joey said he was not enjoying that class… Does Yami feel as though he's offending me whenever the term host comes into the conversation? I sighed.

Doesn't he know that host can also mean a positive thing?

Wait, that's it!

I just need to show he is more than just a person who shares my body! I know deep down our time together is limited but… I want to show him a good time in today's world… We'll all be the ones who show him…

My mind finally started to relax. I was filled with joy at my new plan. I could now finally sleep and defeat this real parasite so long as all my friends are with me…

**End Yugi's P.O.V. **

Outside, Yami continued his watch over Yugi.

"_I am pleased that you have accepted me, Yugi,_" he thought to himself, "_But even I won't be around forever_."

Xxx

After being in the hospital for a few days, Yugi was finally cured and was able to defeat the parasite. He was very pleased to no longer carry a worm in his gut. He was advised by his doctor to look into restaurants and make sure they were clean and approved by the health departments.

"Yahoo!" the small teen cried with joy.

He was back in school and brought his Biology teacher a note asking to excuse him. However, he still had to take the test in order to receive credit. Yugi was prepared as not only did he study, he had experience the pain of having a parasite and him being the host. When the weekend had finally arrived, Yugi and his friends had agreed to meet up at the amusement park to celebrate his freedom.

The teen sat on the same bench he sat on while waiting for his friends like last time. He reflected back to the time before any of this mess had happened. Both he and Yami were fine in their relationship, but everything went into a different direction then what either of them had hoped for. Yugi looked down at his Puzzle and frowned as Yami had not said much to him lately.

"Yugi!" Tea greeted as she was the first one to come over.

"Hey, Tea," Yugi smiled.

"Everything ready?" she asked.

"I hope so!" the male teen laughed. Soon, the group was complete as the other two boys arrived at the same time.

"Let's get this party started!" Joey exclaimed ready to go.

"Yeah!" The group shouted out in unison.

They walked over and went on the same rides and played the same games as before. None of them went on the rides Yugi was too short for. In the end, everyone was having a great time. While deciding what to do next, Yugi sat down and closed his eyes.

/Yami, will you please come out,/ he requested calmly. The spirit appeared in his transparent state, /What is it, partner? Are you all of having a good time?/

/Of course we are!/ Yugi answered truthfully, /We just need to do one more thing./

/And that is-/ Yami asked but before he knew it, he had switched places with Yugi.

/Yugi? What are you doing?/ Yami asked confused like he was before.

/Having a good time with everybody./ the teen explained.

Yami blinked his eyes still unsure what to make of the repeated situation.

Yugi smiled and explained, /There are multiple definitions for the term "host". One of them is a person who suffers from a mental disease called dissociate identity disorder, where they have more than one personality. Another one is where a parasite lives within another organism./

Yami couldn't help but flinch a little.

Yugi continued to smile as he went on, /And another one is where a person organizes an event and allows his guest to have a good time./

/Yugi,/ was all Yami could say.

/Yami, you're my friend. I know our time together is thin so, all of us, not just me, want you have a good time./ Yugi explained.

Yami was speechless. He was happy within his heart to be shown such kindness by his host, his partner, his friend.

"Let's all have fun today." Yugi said out loud.

Yami nodded his head and the group went out and enjoyed the rest of the day spending time with one another until the sun set.

**The End **

Chao- Wow, that was long!

YChao- Yeah, but quickly updated.

Chao- Hopefully this will satisfy all of the readers!

Yugi- Yay! I got better!

Yami- Yay! I was able to be reconnected with my Yugi!

Chao- Yeah yeah, now be quiet or else!

Yugi and Yami- (zip their lips)

Chao- Thank you all for the reviews!


End file.
